Kohtla-Järve lacks stable majority after mayor ouster
Kohtla-Järve city council chairman Sergey Lopin says that after the dismissal of Mayor Max Kaur and the election of Evelin Danilov, there is no clear coalition or stable majority in the city.
Sergey Lopin (Center Party), chairman of the Kohtla-Järve city council, commented on the results of an extraordinary meeting where Mayor Max Kaur was ousted in a vote of no confidence and Evelin Danilov was elected as the new mayor.
According to Lopin, the actions of three non-party deputies who were part of the Center Party faction but supported the mayor's dismissal came as an unpleasant surprise. Svetlana Kollo, Jelena Muttonen, and Maxim Chaltsev submitted statements withdrawing from the faction before the vote. Lopin believes such matters should be resolved within the faction.
Despite the change of mayor, Lopin considers it too early to talk about a radical shift in political forces or the formation of a new coalition. Currently, there is no concrete coalition in the usual sense; the city is effectively run by the council without a clear majority. However, the Center Party retains power: Lopin remains council chairman, and Danilov ran on the Center Party list. Lopin emphasizes that stable city governance is impossible without his party.
The voting results demonstrate the new team's instability: 18 deputies voted for Danilov, but only 12 supported her proposed city government composition. Under these circumstances, the city will have to adapt to a "minority coalition" format, where the authorities must constantly negotiate and seek compromises.
Assessing the new city government, Lopin noted Denis Vershinin's experience in urban economy and called the appointment of Alena Kõpp as deputy mayor for social affairs a pragmatic decision. He was reserved about Janek Pahka's appointment to education, describing him as an eccentric person.
Lopin himself is prepared for possible political pressure but intends to keep his position. He noted that political life in Ida-Virumaa is not stable, and if a no-confidence motion is filed against him, he will listen to the complaints. He has analyzed his past mistakes and tries not to repeat them.
Contact with the ousted mayor Kaur was not possible—he left the meeting hall immediately after the vote. Lopin expressed hope that Kohtla-Järve would not end up in the same situation as Narva.
